Toy garage



5 Sheets-Sheet l TOY GARAGE E. SCHRAMM ET AL Jan. 8, 1957 Filed Nov. 23, 1954 INVENTORS.

FLLA 601%4/7/1 BY DAN/EL R. Bye/ms: g ATTORNEY Jan. 8, 1957 SCHRAMM ET AL 2,776,522

TOY GARAGE Filed Nov. 23, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. ELLA Sow/2AM! By DAN/EL R. BER/Visa Jan. 8, 1957 E. SCHRAMM ET AL TOY GARAGE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 23, 1954 8 .HJ T W m N M63 m VS. W m H0 A Am M J M V... B

United States Patent TOY GARAGE Ella Schrarnm, Brooklyn, and Daniel R. Berness,

Glendale, N. Y.

PPlittation November 23, 1954, semi! No. 470,652

'6 Claims. or. 4639) This invention relates to new and useful improvements n tGY More particularly, the present invention proposes th construction of an improved toy garage with a number of related operative parts which a child can easily use mechanicallly to move toy vehicles so that a number of them can separately be parked and stored in individual places or stalls selected by the child.

Still further, the present invention proposes forming a toy garage so that a child operating it will be able to garage toy vehicles in a realistic and educational manner such as might be used in a real full scale automatic or semi-automatic garage.

As a further object, the present invention proposes constructing the toy garage with a plurality of concentric annular turntables having parking lanes or stalls marked or formed thereon for toy vehicles.

Another object of the present invention proposes forming the toy garage with an endless conveyor belt adjacent the outermost turntable to convey toy vehicles to and from a point where they may be moved on or from the turntables.

For'further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference Will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth,

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure: 7

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a toy garage constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention with parts of the building broken away for clarity.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the toy garage with the removable roof removed and the side walls broken away.

Big 3' is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

Fig 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating' a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of one of the vehicle arresting devices shown in Fig. 4. r

7 lg. 6 is a side elevational view of one of the elevators shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of a turntable showing another modification of the present invention.

The toy garage, in accordance with the first form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, has a building' 15 with a base or floor 16, side walls 17, 18, 19 and 20, and a removable roof 21. The front side wall 18 has an entrance opening 22 and an exit opening 3 through which respectively extend inclined ramps 24 and 25 which are mounted on the base 16.

Inside the walls 17, 18, 19 and 20 behind the front wall 18 a belt conveyor 26 is mounted on the base 16. Belt conveyor 26 has a pair of spaced rollers 27 and 28 which are rotatably mounted on the base 16 being suspended between bearings 29 and 30 and 31 and 32 which are fastened to the base. An endless belt 33 is, mounted on the rollers 27 and 28 extending over the rollers and 2 between them. Roller 27 has attached to it a crank 34 for rotating the roller and the belt. The top surface 35 of the belt 33' is disposed adjacent to and at the same height as the top ends of the inclined ramps 24 and 25 so thattoy vehicles 36'may be moved up andv down the ramps and onto and off of the belt 33.

Centrally disposed in the building 15, a plurality of concentric annular turntables 37, 38 and 39 are rotatably mounted on the base. 16. A center pivot section 41] is disposed inside the innermost turntable 39 for that turntable to revolve around, the section 40 having a stand 41 fixedto base 16.

Turntables 37, 38. and. 39 have annular racks or ring gears 42, 43 and 44, respectively mounted beneath them on their underface. A plurality of spaced rollers or roller gears 45, 46 andv 47, and 48, 49 and 50, and 51, 52 and 53 are provided respectively for the turntables 37, 38' and 39. The roller gears are all mounted on a baseplate 54 fixed to-base 16 and each roller gear is disposed in meshing alignment with one of the annular racks or ring gears 42, 43, or 44.

Means separately to rotate the turntables 37, 38 and- 39 is provided by cranks 55,, 56 and 57, crankshafts 58, 59 and 60 and crankpinions or gears 61, 62 and 63. Crank 55, crankshaft 58 and crank gear 61 are rotatably mounted on base 16 by abearing 64 and rotate the outermost turntable 37. Crank 56, crankshaft 59 and crank gear 62 are held by hearing 6.5 and rotate the intermediate turntable 38. Crank 5.7, crankshaft 60, and crank gear or pinion 63 have a bearing 66 and rotate the innermost turntable 39. The gears or pinions 61,62 and 63 are disposed to mesh with the racks or ring. gears: 42, 43 and 44, respectively Turntables 37,38 and39 have a plurality of radial markings. 68 radially dividing'and designating alignable parking lanes and spaces on the turntables.

To operate the toy in the manner of an automatic or semi-automatic. parking garage, a child may roll or send toy vehicles up the entrance ramp to the belt conveyor. The roof of. the building may be removed or the child may reach. through the entrance opening to operate the conveyor crank tomove the vehicle along the conveyor. The belt of the conveyor having its. top surface disposed adjacent and. tangential to the outermost turntable and in the same plane as the top surfaces of all the turntables, vehicles may easily be moved from the belt onto the turntables. The child then turns the turntable cranks until parking spaces-are aligned to form a lane extending all the way to the center surface. A toy vehicle can be moved laterally from this lane to any adjacent parking space on any of the turntables. When the parking spaces adjacent this entrance lane are filled, the turntables may be'revolved and realigned for another or other similar lanes. In this way a large number of toy vehicles can be. garaged. The toy vehicles can be removed from the turntables in a similiar manner and taken from the garage down the exit ramp.

The modification of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is characterized by the provision of elevators 70 and 71.in.p1ace of entrance and exit ramps and car stopping levers 72, 73 and 74 for the three annular concentric turntables, 75, 76 and 77. These turntables are constructed and arranged similar to those described above except that each turntable is provided with a plurality of spaced pin passing openings 78 and 79 which are alignable with the two spaced pins 80 and 81 of each lever 72, 73 and 74. The levers 72, 73 and 74 are pivotally mounted on the base 16' of the garage and fulcrurned in bearings 82, 83 and 84. Each lever is mounted beneath one of the turntables and has pins 80 and 81 at one end and a handle 85 at the other end.

A car impelling spring plunger 86 is mounted on the 3 base adjacent the conveyor belt 87 to move cars from the belt 87 onto one of the turntables. Plunger 86 is slidably mounted in a casing 88 fixed to the base and a spring 89 in the casing and fixed at one end to the plunger 86 forces the plunger toward the turntables when the plunger is drawn back and then released.

Conveyor belt 87 is mounted on rollers 90 and 91 and crank 92 is attached to roller 90 to revolve the belt.

Elevators 70 and 71 are each provided with a platform 93 with links 94, 95, 96 and 97 connecting the platform with the base and with threaded sleeves 98 and 99 through which extend a threaded crank rod 100 for raising and lowering the elevator platforms. The rod is provided with an operating crank 100'.

The other parts of the garage shown in Figs. 4, and 6 are identical to those in the first three figures and have similar reference numerals but primed to distinguish the figures.

The modification illustrated in Fig. 7 is characterized by the provision of a turntable 105 having spaced swinging stall Walls 106 and 107 pivotally mounted on spaced posts 108, 109, 110 and 111 and radially dividing and designating alignable parking lanes and spaces on the turntable.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A toy garage comprising a base, a belt conveyor having a pair of spaced rollers rotatably mounted on the base, an endless belt mounted on the rollers and extending therebetween, a crank on one of the rollers to rotate the roller and the belt, a plurality of concentric annular turntables rotatably mounted on the base, said belt having an upper surface disposed adjacent and tangential to the outermost turntable and in the same plane as the top surface thereof, said turntables having a plurality of radially divided alignable parking lanes and spaces, means separately to rotate the turntables, said means including a crank, crankshaft and crank gear for each turntable, each of said turntables having a ring gear disposed to mesh with the crank gear for that turntable, and car stopping means for each turntable, each of said car stopping means being adapted to be detachably and operatively connected with its respective turntable, said car stopping means each including a lever pivotally mounted on the base beneath one of the turntables with a pair of spaced pins at one end and a handle at the other end, said turntables each having a plurality of spaced pin passing openings each alignable with one of the pins for receiving said pin.

2. A toy garage comprising a base, a belt conveyor having a pair of spaced rollers rotatably mounted on the base, an endless belt mounted on the rollers and extending therebetween, a crank on one of the rollers to rotate the roller and the belt, a plurality of concentric annular turntables rotatably mounted on the base, said belt having an upper surface disposed adjacent and tangential to the outermost turntable and in the same plane as the top surface thereof, said turntables having a plurality of radially divided alignable parking lanes and spaces, means separately to rotate the turntables, said means being a crank, crankshaft and crank gear for each turntable, each of said turntables having a ring gear disposed to mesh with the crank gear for that turntable, car stopping means for each turntable, each of said car stopping means being adapted to be detachably and operatively connected with its respective turntable, said car stopping means each being a lever pivotally mounted on the base beneath one of the turntables with a pair of spaced pins at one end and a handle at the other end, said turntables each having a plurality of spaced pin passing openings each alignable with one of the pins for receiving said pin, and a plurality of spaced roller gears rotatably mounted on the base and disposed beneath the turntables rotatably to mount the turntables on the base.

3. A toy garage comprising a base, a belt conveyor having a pair of spaced rollers rotatably mounted on the base, an endless belt mounted on the rollers and extending therebetween, a crank on one of the rollers to rotate the roller and the belt, a plurality of concentric annular turntables rotatably mounted on the base, said belt having an upper surface disposed adjacent and tangential to the outermost turntable and in the same plane as the top surface thereof, said turntables having a plurality of radially divided alignable parking lanes and spaces, means separately to rotate the turntables, said means being a crank, crankshaft and crank gear for each turntable, each of said turntables having a ring gear disposed to mesh with the crank gear for that turntable, car stopping means for each turntable, each of said car stopping means being adapted to be detachably and operatively connected with its respective turntable, said car stopping means each being a lever pivotally mounted on the base beneath one of the turntables with a pair of spaced pins at one end and a handle at the other end, said turntables each having a plurality of spaced pin passing openings each alignablc with one of the pins for receiving said pin, a plurality of spaced roller gears on the base and being disposed in meshing alignment with said ring gears, and a center pivot section disposed inside the innermost annular concentric turntable for said turntable to revolve about.

4. A toy garage comprising a base, a belt conveyor having a pair of spaced rollers rotatably mounted on the base, an endless belt mounted on the rollers and extending therebetween, a crank on one of the rollers to rotate the roller and the belt, a plurality of concentric annular turntables rotatably mounted on the base, said belt having an upper surface disposed adjacent and tangential to the outermost turntable and in the same plane as the top surface thereof, said turntables having a plurality of radially divided alignable parking lanes and spaces, means separately to rotate the turntables, said means being a crank, crankshaft and crank gear for each turntable, each of said turntables having a ring gear disposed to mesh with the crank gear for that turntable, car stopping means for each turntable, each of said car stopping means being adapted to be detachably and operatively connected with its respective turntable, said car stopping means each being a lever pivotally mounted on the base beneath one of the turntables with a pair of spaced pins at one end and a handle at the other end, said turntables each having a plurality of spaced pin passing openings each alignable with one of the pins for receiving said pin, a plurality of spaced roller gears on the base and being disposed in meshing alignment with said ring gears, a center pivot section disposed inside the innermost annular concentric turntable for said turntable to revolve about, and a plurality of inclined ramps extending from the base to the upper surface of the belt.

5. A toy garage comprising a base, a belt conveyor having a pair of spaced rollers rotatably mounted on the base, an endless belt mounted on the rollers and extending therebetween, a crank on one of the rollers to rotate the roller and the belt, a plurality of concentric annular turntables rotatably mounted on the base, said belt having an upper surface disposed adjacent and tangential to the outermost turntable and in the same plane as the top surface thereof, said turntables having a plurality of radially divided alignable parking lanes and spaces, means separately to rotate the turntables, said means being a crank, crankshaft and crank gear for each turntable, each of said turntables having a ring gear disposed to mesh with the crank gear for that turntable,

car stopping means for each turntable, each of said car stopping means being adapted to be detachably and operatively connected with its respective turntable, said car stopping means each being a lever pivotally mounted on the base beneath one of the turntables with a pair of spaced pins at one end and a handle at the other end, said turntables each having a plurality of spaced pin passing openings each alignable with one of the pins for receiving said pin, a plurality of spaced roller gears on the base and being disposed in meshing alignment with said ring gears, a center pivot section disposed inside the innermost annular concentric turntable for said turntable to revolve about, a plurality of inclined ramps extending from the base to the upper surface of the belt, and a plurality of swinging stall Walls pivotally mounted on each turntable radially dividing and designating alignable parking lanes and spaces thereon.

6. A toy garage comprising a base, a belt conveyor having a pair of spaced rollers rotatably mounted on the base, an endless belt mounted on the rollers and extending therebetween, a crank on one of the rollers to rotate the roller and the belt, a plurality of concentric annular turntables rotatably mounted on the base, said belt having an upper surface disposed adjacent and tanas the top surface thereof, said turntables having a plural- ,ity of radially divided alignable parking lanes and spaces,

means separately to rotate the turntables, said means including a crank, crankshaft and crank gear for each turntable, each of said turntables having a ring gear disposed to mesh with the crank gear for that turntable, car stopping means for each turntable, each of said car stopping means being adapted to be detachably and operatively connected with its respective turntable, said car stopping means each including a lever pivotally mounted on the base beneath one of the turntables with a pair of spaced pins at one end and a handle at the other end, said turntables each having a plurality of spaced pin passing openings each alignable with one of the pins for receiving said pin, a plurality of spaced roller gears on the base and being disposed in meshing alignment with said ring gears, a center pivot section disposed inside the innermost annular concentrie turntable for said turntable to revolve about, and car impelling means mounted on the base adjacent. the belt to move cars form the belt onto one of the turntables.

Hamilton et al. May 11, 1920 Lontz Oct. 12, 1954 

